Potter's Retirement
by AccidentVictim
Summary: Potter comes home to his wife.


It was a beautiful day at the 4077 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. Just one day  
before, the news of peace rang through the camp. Everyone was leaving now. Although  
everyone was excited, they were also very sad about the fact that they were leaving their  
comrades from the past 3 years. As Col. Potter went out to get Sophie, a tingle shot down  
his spine because at that moment, the reality that he would never see his mare again hit  
him like a brick wall. He rode sophie over to Hawk and B.J. for one last goodbye. He  
could hardly hold back the tears as he said farewell to his two Captains, which had been  
his friends and support for the last three years. After everyone had said their good-byes,  
the Col. looked on in awe at the sight of Hawk and B.J. saluting him. As he rode off on  
his horse, he felt a sense of peace that he would never have to do it again.  
  
Sherm got to his plane right on time, but the plane didn't arrive until an hour later.   
As he was sitting, an older gentleman approached him and took off his hat. The man  
spoke to him and said, "How's it goin Sherm? Remember Me?!" The Col. looked up at  
him and he couldn't believe his eyes. It was one of the doctors he had met in WWII.   
Potter said with bright, glowing eyes, "John, John Nero, is that really you? I thought I'd  
never see you again, and of all places here in Korea!"  
  
John looked at him and said with a smile as wide as an ocean, "Hardly seems like  
a week since we said goodbye! Look's like something might be getting ready to happen in  
someplace called Vietnam, It appears that's where I'm headed next! How about you?  
Where are you headed?"  
  
Potter said with great joy, "I'm going home, retiring! I feel if I don't, I'd be doing  
Mildred a great injustice." He pulled out a list of some sort. "This is a list she sent me of  
chores to do. Clean the rain gutters, fix the fence, fix the screens and it just goes on and  
on, one boring thing after another (he remembers comparing letters with B.J. back in the  
Officers Club) and I'm excited about doing every one of these!"  
  
John offered potter a cigar and a drink from the bar at the airport. "I guess you  
haven't heard the news, my wife passed away about a month ago, I didn't even get to go  
to the funeral and say goodbye. God knows Martha was a great woman. She didn't   
deserve to die alone."  
  
The Colonel remembered John talking about his wife in the past war. How much  
he loved her and how they had fallen in love at the age of eight on the playground at  
John's childhood school. Gosh John never got tired of telling the story. "When I was  
eight years old at school on the playground, I had gotten mad and took her milk money  
and she came after me with the plastic shovel that we used to play with in the sand. That  
day after school, her and I were forced to bang erasers. About half an hour into the  
banging, she looked at me with an evil grin on her face and clapped chalk dust all over  
me. Instead of getting mad, I did the same thing back and we couldn't keep ourselves  
from laughing, which just got us another day in detention! From then on we have been  
inseparable." John couldn't help but smile at the story every time he told it.  
  
Col. Potter looked down at his shoes and said with sorrow in his voice "I'm very  
sorry it had to happen this way. Your wife seemed like a very lovely woman."  
  
John thanked Sherman for all the support he had given him in the war and  
changed the subject.  
  
Just then an announcement came over the P.A. system. "Flight 243 to Honolulu is  
now boarding". Sherm looked at John and said "Well I guess this is goodbye again!   
Look me up when you get home to the states." Sherman walked off to his plane and  
waved goodbye one last time.  
  
The Col. Boarded the plane and found a seat by a window. As the plane took off  
he took one last look at Korea and shut the shade on the window. While in the air, he  
couldn't help but remember all the fun times they had back at the 4077th. One of his  
fondest memories came into his mind. He couldn't help chuckling at himself as he  
remembered the time he was in o.r. and Hawk dropped Winchester's pants.  
  
It was getting dark outside and he could see a beautiful pinkish red sunset appear  
in the horizon.  
  
The plane landed and he went to the hotel where he was spending the night.   
  
The next morning he awoke to rain. His plane left in an hour and he was already  
ready to go. The plane took off even though it was storming, but he didn't even seem to  
notice it.  
  
The plane landed and he got off and he looked down the terminal and saw  
Mildred standing there waiting for him. He ran over to her and hugged and kissed her.   
He was so glad to be home! He looked at Mildred and said, "This is it, I'm never leaving  
again, I'm retiring from the service!" This was news to Mildred because Sherman didn't  
tell her until he got home.  
  
The first thing he did when he got home was have an ice cold glass of milk and a  
huge home cooked meal that Mildred and the rest of his family prepared for him. There  
were steaks and corn on the cob and everything else Sherman loved. That night, he  
jumped in his bed and felt a sense of security he had never felt before in his life.  
  
The next day, He was sitting down at the table having fresh eggs, bacon, and  
everything else that makes a great breakfast. Just as he was done eating, there was a  
knock at the door. He looked out the front picture window to see a truck with a big trailer  
attached to it.  
  
He opened the door and said, "How may I help you?"  
  
The gentleman at the door said "I have a delivery for you, It's rather odd!"  
  
Sherman watched as the man walked to the back of the trailer and opened the  
door. Just then the man lead a horse out of it. He looked on in disbelief and said,  
Sophie, is that really you!? There was a red bow arround the horses neck and the man  
handed him a card. The card read...  
  
Dear Sherman,  
  
We hope you like the gift we got you. We couldn't have done it without the help  
of everyone at the 4077th and especially Father Mulchahy for arranging the orphanage to  
keep Sophie until we could book her a flight on a cargo plane.  
  
Happy Retirement,  
  
The 4077th MASH  
  
Col. Potter walked Sophie over to a stable and tied her up. He mounted a saddle  
on her and rode her off into the woods. He didn't come back for about three hours.   
When he got home Mildred looked at him and said, "Sherman, I don't believe I've ever  
seen you happier."  
  
  
  



End file.
